According to Holden, the small car was created with significant input from Australian engineers prior to its global release. The all-new interior was overseen by Holden's Mike Simcoe in his role as GM Asia Pacific Design Director.

Holden designers have also tweaked the external appearance giving the car a family look including the distinctive trapezoidal Holden grille.

The car is already sold in the USA and Europe. As the Aveo it is the most popular sub-compact nameplate in the United States, with almost 70,000 sales in 2005, and is the top selling Chevrolet model in Europe.

Barina posted record sales in January. According to GM Holden Chairman and Managing Director, Denny Mooney, the introduction of the Barina sedan will further boost sales. He said Australian input was a critical development component for the car before it was launched globally in mid-2005.

Mr Mooney also said value light car offerings such as Barina sedan were vital to complement Holden's strong-selling Astra range.

"This model represents the next significant step in our small car offerings. It has been developed to be successful in several leading global markets, rather than focussing on one set of domestic needs.

"It highlights the rapid evolution of value end cars and sends a clear signal that Holden's small car range will continue to gain strength in the market," said Mooney.